One type of point-of-sale device, particularly used for hardware articles and articles used in offices, includes horizontally extending elongated hanger elements on a vertically extending mounting structure of a retail shop. The vertically extending mounting structure is usually a pegboard and the horizontally extending elongated hanger elements are rods carried by anchors on the pegboard. The point-of-sale device typically carries the article or articles in a blister pack, that is, a pocket formed by a cardboard or paperboard panel (that is, a card) and a clear preformed plastic member, or a transparent plastic bag or other similar container including a transparent portion, enabling a prospective buyer to see the article. The card also includes an opening enabling the entire point-of-sale device to be carried by the rod and enabling the point-of-sale device to be removed from the rod for inspection by a prospective purchaser.
Usually the person who wishes to obtain access to and use the purchased article carried by the point of sale device gains access to and removes the article by tearing the container from the card, to prevent further use of the point of sale device. This is true even though some of the point of sale devices include partially perforated cards behind the pocket, which perforations can be carefully opened and re-closed to permit removal of articles in the pocket and storage of articles remaining in the partially opened pocket. Thus, a person who removes some, but not all, of the articles from the pocket, and wants, in the future, the residual articles in the package to be used, must find a container to store the residual articles or risk losing the articles by leaving them loose in a tool box, on a work bench or elsewhere. Although the perforated card is re-closeable, it is not totally secure in keeping all contents inside. For instance, if a consumer at the retail store punctures the perforation and re-closes it, that closure is not secure enough to maintain the package at the store. Once the card has been punctured, the article carried by the point of sale device cannot be sold because the point of sale package would be considered to be an opened package.
We are unaware of any point of sale devices that resolve the foregoing problem. In particular, we are unaware of any point of sale devices that are hung on horizontally extending elongated hanger elements on a vertically extending mounting structure of a retail shop, wherein the point of sale device includes a container having a body including an opening closed by a re-useable sealable, removable and re-sealable lid.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved point of sale device that is adapted to be hung on a horizontally extending elongated hanger element on a vertically extending mounting structure of a retail shop.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved point of sale device that is adapted to be hung on a horizontally extending elongated hanger element on a vertically extending mounting structure of a retail shop, wherein a container for articles carried by the device enables the articles to be stored after one or more of the articles has been removed from the container for use.
A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved point of sale device that is adapted to be hung on a horizontally extending elongated element on a vertically extending mounting structure of a retail shop wherein a container for articles carried by the device includes a lid for enabling the articles to be (1) seen in the shop while hanging on the element and (2) stored after one or more of the articles has been removed from the container for use.